← Return to Excruciating chronic left side neck pain plus lumbar issues

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@ab6540183

Hi jm1,
how are you?

thanks for the advice.

I don't like the idea of fusion where you lose flexibility in your neck. I heard that people, I.E. @jenniferhunter , can have fusion without hardware.

I don't know how you qualify for this type of surgery.

Recently I am taking Neurontin (Gabapentin) 300mg, Nortriptyline 10mg, Diclofenac 50mg to manage the pain at night. During the day it is not so bad because I distract myself and move a bit.

I noticed that my stomach takes ages to absorb these meds and it can take up to 4 hours before feeling the effect. Once they start working, they can provide me with some sleep.

Now since March this year whenever I go to sleep, I place the right side of my head on the pillow because I can't sleep on the left or the back due to increased pain.

Even though I feel quite sedated, I noticed that my left sternocleidomastoid muscle is in constant tightness, spasm I believe. If I touch it, it feels very excruciating which is above any other types of pain that I have been experiencing. The pain starts half way in my neck and spreads to the bottom of it.

The intensity of pain of the left SCM is such that it wakes me up, despite the medication and causes massive mental anxiety. In other words I can't sleep at all and must get up to reduce the pain because in this position I feel better.

I try to massage the left SCM gently, but it feels horribly painful.

I don't know if cervical facet joints can cause such horrific pain.

Any thoughts and advice will be appreciated.

Thank you.

Alfred

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Replies to "Hi jm1, how are you? thanks for the advice. I don't like the idea of fusion..."

How you qualify for what surgery depends how bad your neck issues are and what anatomy is effected. Your fear of neck fusion is overplayed, they have a very successful outcome ratio.
I personally take 600mg 3 times a day of gabapentin. Taking it in a steady stream avoids having to wait hours for relief. I have told you the critical importance of this before yet you insist on taking just nite time doses and sufferring.
I take 50mg of nortriptyline right after diner around 630 pm and 5mg ambien at 830pm. The dosages and timing you are doing are not providing you the optimum outcome of relief possible. You are also a much bigger person and could tolerate larger doses. Talk to your doctors. You may need a muscle relaxer prescribed as well to stop the spasms caused by the nerves.
Telling you for the last time, horrible burning radiating pain,numbness and tingling of hands is all caused by impingment or compression of the nerves. Its the nerves that dictate and control you they spasm the muscles, they send the signals to your brain. You didnt mention ice, so for heaven sake ice more, I can tell you don't ice nearly enough. .massage should feel good, a good relieving pain if deep tissue is done. At this stage you need to skip on this only the lightest touch, let the ice do the work. If not icing try Biofreeze or Cobroxin or Nyloxin topical gels or Lidocaine 4% patches. These help me. Prayers for pain relief and mental support